BA World Cargo (BAWC) has increased its short-haul freighter services by 40 per cent. The multi-million pound investment "clearly demonstrates the BA board's commitment to the air cargo industry", said the airline in a statement.

From the end of January 2007, the new schedule will deliver 45 weekly wide-body services across 11 European destinations.

Milan and Frankfurt have been put at the heart of BAWC's European network. The carrier has also added five services into and one service from Milan, while Rome has opened up as a new freighter route with four weekly services. Furthermore, a rotation has been added to Frankfurt, while rotations to Stockholm and Paris have increased from one to two per week.

"The short-haul freighter programme has gone from strength-to-strength, since its inception in October 2003. This improved schedule complements our long-haul freighter network, belly hold operations and trucking service and reflects our commitment to growing our global network," commented Chris Bosworth, general manager commercial development, BA World Cargo.